Past Exhibitions

Russ Pope - All in Allston Again

Don't Give Up the Ship II - Legend of the Narwhal

EXOTICS, ETC.

This exhibition featured work by four artists who interact and collaborate with each other professionally, artistically, and personally. Each through their own use of photography, textiles, installation and painting they have created an exhibition of individual works that interact and speak to each other as a whole. You are invited to come see EXOTICS, ETC. with warm, open arms.

Terrence Doyle • Brandon Kirk • Andy Li • Buck Squibb

Presented by: Orchard, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from January 27 to March 4, 2018.

Young, Dumb & Broke - Curated by Audrey Hsia and TJ Kelley III

When do you become a grown-up? When do you ever grow out of being young, dumb, and broke? How does one tell?Does it come with paying taxes? Nah.Does it come with buying a car? Nah.Does it come with going through a break up? Nope.

We live our day to day lives freaking out and overly anxious about what comes next. What to post next on Instagram, what to wear tomorrow, where should we meet our friends next, so on and so forth. The ability to slow down is no longer an option. With that, we offer you the chance to reflect publicly on what it feels to be young, dumb, and broke, or no longer.

On view from December 2, 2017 to January 7, 2018.

Rob Collins X Lowcard Magazine Issue #64 Release Show

This show was a selection of Rob Collins' favorite photographs that have appeared in Lowcard throughout the years. This was also the release of Lowcard Magazine Issue #64, with Rob's brother Paul claiming the cover.

Presented by: Orchard, Converse, Lowcard Magazine, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from November 18 to November 26, 2017.

Alexis Sablone

A solo exhibition by shop team rider and Queen of Flick™ Alexis Sablone! In case you haven’t heard, Alexis is the newest pro for WKND, and she’s also making a bunch of the new graphics for them. This show will feature Alexis’ paintings, illustrations, and animations.

Presented by: Orchard, WKND, New Balance Numeric, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from September 30 to November 5, 2017.

Don't Sweat It - Tom Dupere, Mikey Gallant, and TJ Kelley III

A loosely planned art show amongst old friends Thomas Dupere, Mikey Gallant and TJ Kelley III. The show featured new work in a variety of different media from each artist, including a mural by Tom, an installation by TJ, and a zine by Mikey.

Presented by: Orchard, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from August 12 to September 10, 2017.

Roll for Rob 2017

The New England skateboarding family has teamed up to support one of our brothers Rob Pontes through his treatments with ALS. On the weekend of July 21 & 22 we will be hosting a series of events to benefit Rob and his family.

Friday July 21 we hosted a benefit art show in the Extension Gallery at the Allston shop from 8-10pm. Tons of legendary artists donated pieces to support the cause and artwork was available on auction from Mark Gonzales, Todd Francis, Russ Pope, Jay Croft, Jason Jessee, and many, many more!

On Saturday July 22 there was a massive Skate Jam for the ages going down at Lynch Family Skatepark in Cambridge. Along with a series of mini contests, there was be a demo with tons of your favorite pro skaters including riders from Real, Krooked, Spitfire, and other DLXSF brands.

For anyone that wants to make a donation, please visit the Go Fund Me page!

A Little Trouble - Curated by Michael Chew

A Little Trouble is a femme-focused art show in the Extension Gallery at the Allston shop curated by Pueblo 2012 mastermind and longtime shop employee Michael Chew. The show features powerful work by some amazing women, with proceeds from art sales going to Planned Parenthood.

Introduction

In the narrative of mainstream pop culture, women have a history of ruining art. From the impure women barred from performing in the theaters of Elizabethan England to the conspiracy theory that Courtney Love killed Kurt Cobain, there have been innumerable dumb bitches to get in the way of The Men shaping art as we know it; perhaps the most famous of them is Yoko Ono. Before her name was reduced to a verb meaning “to break up the band,” Yoko was an intensely feminist multimedia artist, creating elaborate pieces that included a faux MoMA exhibit which protested the museum’s lack of female artists in 1971. Despite being far more interesting than–to quote the great John Waters–”those honky Beatles who ruined rock and roll,” she was burned at the stake for allegedly causing the downfall of the band, for reasons either sexist, racist, or, most likely, a lethal combination of the two. I wish Yoko Ono broke up The Beatles. It’s a way more interesting story than her being in any way complicit with those Christopher Columbuses of rock and roll.

My point is that Yoko’s accomplishments were erased by the mainstream narrative, until those accomplishments were reduced to what now seems to be considered a pop cultural war crime, all because she married some guy who–all tea, all shade–was not even that cute. We as a culture view female artists through the filter of the men they are associated with, be it romantically or collaboratively. On the other hand, openly feminist artists are pigeonholed by their opposition to The Patriarchy. Whichever side you’re on, your work is characterized by its relation to men. There’s no escape from being The Other.

I love that we are all coming together to celebrate art made by people who aren’t cisgender white dudes, but I also hate that this show is even happening. Showcasing the work of female artists should absolutely not be such a production (though that’s obviously not a misstep by Orchard, but rather the fault of–oy gevalt, brace yourself–Society). If this was recognized as a problem in 1971, it shouldn’t still be a problem over 40 years later. Showcasing female or non-binary artists should not be a conscious effort, it should just be assumed. I think that’s the goal: for women and non-binary folks to create art without it being overshadowed by the context of their Otherness.

In her 1996 Commencement speech at Wellesley College, writer/filmmaker Nora Ephron implored the graduating class, “Whatever you choose, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there, and I hope you’ll choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.” While it does a disservice to female/non-binary artists to assume that all of their work is or should be explicitly political, simply creating in the face of oppression unfortunately is, more often than not, a radical act.

All of us in this show are creating these pieces through the lenses of our own vastly different life experiences; though not all of it is expressly political, we are all trying our best to make a little trouble.

-Annie Fell

Presented by: Orchard, Pueblo 2012, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from January 28 to February 26, 2017.

Deckaid Boston

Deckaid is a pop up skateboard art exhibition which benefits charities that engage youth through the vehicle of skateboarding. The show involved a growing collaboration of skateboard collectors whose archives have rarely, if ever, been accessible to public viewing. Deckaid also featured an ongoing photography series connecting skateboarders to their classic board graphics.

Featuring the board collections of Tom Atencio, Bobshirt, and Craig Paivo, along with a series of photographs printed for the show there were also a limited amount of signed Gino Ianucci Gravediggaz prints and illustrations by Drop, plus more rad goodies for sale for one night only!

All proceeds go to support Horizons for Homeless Children, an incredible organization focused on benefiting the lives of homeless children in Massachusetts.

TJ Kelley III - Between the Rent and Me

TJ is a Boston based skate rat who paints multi panel assemblage on canvas and found objects. He uses bright colors and imagery that contrast with a somewhat foreboding tone of his work. The show featured a collection of new works, along with new screen printed pieces, a zine, and a new Orchard tee shirt graphic that was available for sale at the show.

Eggs Report

Extension Gallery pays homage to Eggs, the Boston skate spot held so near and dear to many of us. Photography by Liam Annis, Alex Gagne, Ray Echevers, and Dan Zaslavsky. Video screening by Brian Delaney. ‘Zine/mini-book written by Ian Browning.

Why celebrate an already existing spot? Our friends over at the NYC-based Village Psychic put it into words quite well:

“Eggs isn’t a sanctioned skate park, and for as needed and appreciated as skate parks are, we’re especially glad for place like Eggs. It’s a public place where skaters have formed a community and have sense of ownership, and are invested in keeping clean and safe. It’s probably weird to the outside world that a few granite ledges could matter so much to a group of people – but they do. Much to the dismay of lawmakers and city officials, Eggs is what it looks like when the public gives a fuck about their public spaces.”

The Screaming Hand - 30th Anniversary

We had the honor of teaming up with Santa Cruz Skateboards to celebrate the 30th Handiversary of this iconic skate graphic penned by Jim Phillips. Over 50 legendary artists contributed work for this traveling tribute show, and there was a wide assortment of limited edition Screaming Hand goodies for sale at the opening.

Thomas Dupere - Notes from a 10' x 10' Room

Mark Gonzales - Motzart of the iPad

What is your name and what is your occupation?Mark Andrew Gonzales. Occupation Nurturer & Survivalist.

How has it been overall being in Boston and visiting the Orchard? Boston has been great, I love it. I like the snow, its really nice it was late this year, but it got here.

Rumor has it you ollied over the Hospital Volcano first than Tommy G.?That’s not true we got kicked out of there right away! We tried to ollie it and the guard in front was nice and said not to come back and we didn’t comeback. We may have attempted it, but it didn’t go down.

When did you start making your iPad movies and what do you enjoy most about making them?I’ve only been making them for about a year and half. Yes, it’s a lot of fun. I tried making short movies before, but found it a lot easier on the iPad.

Do you think smart phones have helped or hurt skateboarding?I would say a little bit of both, I think sometimes maybe people do less skating if they’re to worried about documenting and in that way its hurt it. And in other ways they can ping a location and send it to their friend and they can meet up at a spot without getting lost.

Top 3 wallies?I was very inspired by the wallie and I couldn’t do it. Natas, Julien Stranger, I’m not sure, there’s been a few people that can do pretty good wallies but I’m not sure who my favorites are.

Overall how did the Mozart of the IPad event go ?I think it went really well. It was awesome to see people’s reactions to the work first hand, It went really well it was fun a lot of people came out and they seemed like they enjoyed it.

Any thanks/shoutouts?Yes, shout out to my wife, to my friends, and to everyone that showed up, and the people at the Boarder, and Krooked, Adidas, Independent Trucks, all my sponsors, and thank you for having me at Orchard and putting this together.

The first ever public screening of the iPad movies of Mark Gonzales.

Presented by: Orchard, Adidas, Krooked Skateboards

On view December 26, 2015.

Romek Rasenas & Friends - Wierd Stories

In the early years of Orchard, there was a crew of close friends that lived in the apartment upstairs from the Mission Hill shop. Romek Rasenas and the crew formerly known as Faded Streets have curated a photo exhibit and installation celebrating the friendships formed in and around this skate house during the years 2008-2012 and all the “wierdness” that went with it.

FADED STREETS

Faded Streets was a website created in 2007 as a diary for Romek Rasenas’ snapshot photographs. The intent was to carve out a space that explored the mundane aspects of everyday life through growing up skateboarding in Boston. Pursuing a BFA at MassArt and living in Mission Hill, Romek turned to his newly formed friendships for material.

An experimental mobile blog platform was added to the site next. It was a simple text-to-post blog format, with pixelated flip phone cameras as the medium. Usernames were created for friends not only living in Boston but Western Massachusetts, the Berkshires, Albany, New York City and eventually the West Coast. Within weeks, hundreds of photos were posted. This offered an unrivaled connection within the group pre-Instagram, sans the social bragging baggage and tiresome expectations that come with social media. Within 6 years more than 10,000 images amassed.

WIERD STORIES

In Orchard’s Extension space, three different aspects of imagery from the site are addressed.

In room one of three, four digital chromogenic prints sized 30” by 40” are displayed. These will be selected among work from Romek, Ray Echevers, Jason Lee, and Jose Obando that highlight moments shot on actual film.

The second of three rooms is a replica of the living room where the group would hang out daily, outfitted with a couch, coffee table, tv, beer-stained carpet, and more. The living room is a central theme throughout the photographs showcased, and is the common denominator that relates the late night party photos to the sun-filled afternoon hangouts seen in the show.

The third and largest room makes use of the collected cell phone imagery. The immense visual vocabulary created after years of posting was edited down to 450 prints. These photos cover three walls, with images consisting of anything from pizza slices to emptied bank accounts, counteracting traditional photography which is usually to commemorate symbolic events or important achievements. Blurry cellular images with harsh uneven flash and pixelated cell phone cameras suggest the apathetic attitude common amongst the contributors.

Presented by: Orchard, Vans, Brixton, Pueblo 2012, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from September 12 to October 4, 2015.

Lurker Lou - Cardboards

Cardboards is a project by Orchard team rider Lurker Lou where he collages various trading cards and labels on old skateboards and seals them to create unique collectible and functional works of art. For this show, each room in the gallery had it’s own theme including every NBA team from the 1990-91 season, various movie boards from 1980′s and 90′s films, as well as other assorted one-off boards. To commemorate this show Orchard released a “Bird Board” collaboration project with Lou’s brand Iron Claw Skates. Each board was hand numbered and limited to 33 boards produced in the USA.

Rob Collins - Wide Angle Vision

From the Artist:

“Wide Angle Vision is a body of work that shows a small glimpse of America. In July of 2014, my brother Paul and I packed up a car and drove across the country for 7 weeks. We planned our trip around places we wanted to see or skate, and where we had friends to take us in.

When I left I had an idea of how I wanted these photos to look, but my focus shifted as I became fascinated with the people. The people that we stayed with were interesting and incredibly important, but the people that we met at the skateparks, diners, gas stations, and so on were the ones that took me by surprise.

I had been to California before, but I was stunned by all that lies between the east and west coasts.”

Presented by: Orchard, Vans, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from February 21 to March 29, 2015.

Pep Kim - 456 Photo Show: Photography from the making of Static IV

The 456 Photo Show with work by Pep Kim focused on photos from the making of Josh Stewart’s Static IV + V videos.

Jason Jessee - Manufactured Inspirado / Keeping the Mythos Alive

Legend, badass, mad genius, and artist are a few of the words you could use to describe this iconic individual. The show is entitled "Manufactured Inspirado / Keeping the Mythos Alive" and features photographs and memorabilia from his 25+ year career in skateboarding. Along with items from Jason's personal collection, the exhibit will also feature his unique sculpture art that is a blend of punk rock spirit, motorcycle culture and general weirdness that only Jason could come up with.

Presented by: Orchard, Converse, Santa Cruz Skateboards

On view from October 5 to October 31, 2013.

The Girl Skateboard Company - Celebrating the First 20 Years

In 1993, two professional skateboarders, a celebrated director and their hostage decided to start their own adventure. Fortunately for them, their best friends were some of the best skateboarders and they came, too. It’s been a colorful twenty years filled with perfect moments, heartbreak, amazing creativity and lots of fun. We are beyond excited to share these two decades with everyone who lent their love and support. 2013 is about sharing the retrospective of imagery with the world in the form of an exhibition to celebrate the first twenty years of The Girl Skateboard Company.

Presented by: Orchard, Girl Skateboards

On view from September 14 to October 1, 2013.

Dennis McNett - Artwork for Antihero Skateboards

The show will featured the entire collection of skateboard graphics that Dennis Mcnett has created for Antihero, including the original wood relief cutouts and insight to this amazing artist’s process. That evening also was the release of the Orchard X Antihero “Off Campus Housing” capsule including a board designed by Dennis and a limited edition “Care Package from Mom” collection of co-branded goodies.

Presented by: Orchard, Vans, Antihero Skateboards, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from May 18 to June 16, 2013.

Rocco Hodgdon & Joey Pepper - Downeaster

Downeaster Art Show featuring work by Rocco Hodgdon & Joey Pepper, longtime friends who grew up skateboarding together in Maine. Rocco is the proprietor of Death or Glory Tattoos in Westbrook ME, and makes one of a kind, hand painted wood cutouts heavily influenced by tradtional tattoo imagery.

Joey Pepper is a professional skateboarder for Expedition-One Skateboards, and creates sculptural lighting pieces made entirely from solid wood. Rigid geometry, organic fluidity, dark and light, are all forces which converge to create these lamps. Rather than getting caught up in manipulating something to be what it cannot be, these pieces embrace light’s ability to filter through any given openings, silhouette the shade and highlight the base of the lamps.

Presented by: Orchard, HUF, Pabst Blue Ribbon

On view from February 16 to March 24, 2013.

Crush - Pakayla Rae Biehn, Erin M Riley & Jason Andrew Turner

Originally from the Bay Area, Pakayla has rarely shown her beautiful paintings on the east coast, she will be showing the delicately layered photo realistic paintings for which she has gained lots of attention.

Erin who received her BFA from MassArt in ’07 hand weaves wool tapestries using imagery that she has found on the internet and will be showing a series of works depicting young women in various states of exposure.

Jason has exhibited all over Philadelphia and works on simple and stunning portraits of beautiful women, landscapes and objects.

Death of Childhood - Curated by Tak Toyoshima

On view from October 20 to November 17, 2012.

Pave The Way - MOFO, C.R. Stecyk III, Lance Dawes, Tobin Yelland

This show was put together by Vans and features works by 4 iconic skateboard photographers C.R. Stecyk III, MOFO, Tobin Yelland, and Lance Dawes. MOFO was one of the original Thrasher Magazine photographers, and in this clip he tells some stories about some of the groundbreaking skating and behind the scenes work that helped shape the face of skateboarding today.

“Everyone is influenced by something. whether it be by family friends or something fucked up you saw as a kid that changed your life. We were influenced by the rock n rollers, the metal heads the pukers and hatchet faced victims of horror films of decades past. We skate boarded played in punk bands, got wasted, tattooed and created art about it. Our work is about the underground, the dirt the grime and the weirdos that created a place for us. We would like to put on a show of illustrations and videos letting you into our world where metal bands and horror films are king. Where Black Sabbath is a religion. Where as a kid you gave up barbies to play with a reaper doll. We want to give you art about Rock N’ Roll, blood guts and all that other good stuff.”

Eileen Clynes - Exceptional Holiness

Exceptional Holiness, a solo exhibition of photo collage work by Eileen Clynes. The work is a modern take on traditional Roman Catholic Saint cards, drawing inspiration from tchotchke style religious art such as hologram last suppers and light-up Virgin Marys. Alongside the collection of 17 large size photo prints, the show will also have assorted styles of knick-knacks such as prayer candles, varnished wooden clocks and plaques, and hologram cards that all have these original photo collages printed on them.

Mike Kershnar - Beantown Sundown

Kershnar's work draws inspiration from global shamanic hunting/healing traditions as well as skateboard graphics, graffiti, and comic books. Along with the exhibition of new works and installations, Kershnar gave out 50 copies of a 'zine he created for his first Boston show.

The Live…Suburbia! art show is an extension of the youth culture book by Max G Morton and Anthony Pappalardo on powerHouse Books. Through cut-and-paste hardcore flyers, handwritten manifestos, raw skateboarding videos, and iconic photographs from the 1970s to 1990s the vitality and urgency of suburban subcultures become as real as the smell of fried food from the town fair mixed with the faint stench of dirt weed. Many of the snapshots and captured moments feature trailblazers in music, art, and culture but the faces in the crowds were just as crucial and inspirational as those who gained notoriety. Big cities are always the focus of any culture trend but movements are cemented in history by those who turn them into lifestyles and never look back.

The Pre-Vinylite Society - Hand Painted Signs - Curated by Josh Luke

Sign artists and lettering enthusiasts from across the nation who are associated with the Pre-Vinylite Society, a loose network of like-minded letter junkies. Kenji Nakayami and Josh Luke also hosted a sign painting demonstration in the gallery.

Isaac is a California boy who did his schoolin' here in Boston in the early '90's and is a long time friend and supporter of the shop. These days he fuddles around with the photgraphic equipment equivalent of a Ford Edsel while creeping in the background of the Hood-Rich and Skate-Famous. Somehow he has been able to weasel his words and photographs into such print and interweb publications such as SLAP, Juxtapoz, Color, FecalFace. The night will also play host to the release event for new skateboards and tee shirts from Stereo and Quiet Life that feature Isaac's photographs. For more information visit www.mydumbluck.com

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THE WORST IS YET TO COME - The Unfortunate Decay of Communication & Culture

New works by Mark Penxa and Don Pendleton

Hailing from different regions of the Midwest, these two artists/designers are most recognized for their highly admired work in the skateboard industry with companies including Alien Workshop, Element, DC Shoe Co., Girl, and Chocolate skateboards. These individual and collaborative works explore the modern decay of interpersonal communication and a culture in overall decline.